Mental Health care shines on tour

The quality of care and the team comradery were among the highlights of a tour of the Nepean Mental Health Centre last week by Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor.

During her visit, Minister Taylor chatted to patients, clinicians and peer workers about the strides in care delivery being made by the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Mental Health team.

One stop on the tour included an inspection of one of four new courtyards being built to improve the therapeutic care of patients.

The Minister also visited the State’s only dedicated Mental Health Triage and Assessment Centre (TAC) to see firsthand the difference it’s making to people’s lives.

Acting Director for Mental Health, Karen Arblaster says since its opening in 2017, the Triage and Assessment Centre has provided urgent mental health care 24 hours a day seven days a week.

“Each year the TAC sees over 2,000 patients who would have previously presented to the Emergency Department,” says Mrs Arblaster.

The state’s first TAC is one of many the innovations and new models of care the mental health team at NBMLHD have recently implemented.

In 2019 the Nepean Mental Health Service signed a NSW-first Mental Health Consumer and Carer Council Charter with mental health consumers, their carers and families.

Mental health consumers and carers work in partnership with mental health service managers and clinicians to develop health plans, assess policies, and set priorities to help improve the delivery of services.